The Man Who Flattened Himself
by NorthStar65
Summary: A short missing scene from 'The Man Who Murdered Himself'. Heyes contemplates the best way to break the news to the Kid about not getting paid.


**Author's Note: **My thought process when writing this was anything in italics is what Heyes is actually thinking, anything else is what the "viewer would see", something he is doing, something Kid is doing, etc. Hope it isn't too confusing.

* * *

Hannibal Heyes paced back and forth across the hotel room floor. There wasn't a whole lot of room to pace in but it brought some relief so he continued on - to the door...3, 4, 5... turn back to the window... 1, 2, 3...

_Maybe I just need some fresh air._ He grabbed his hat off the bed. _Sheesh what's wrong with me? I mean it's not like the Kid would shoot me... well... nah, he wouldn't shoot his partner._

_You know besides the murder and Mr. Finney being just a bit too nosey, I had a rather enjoyable time. Okay, so I didn't get paid but I had a real pleasant time with Julia. Such sweet, soft lips... oh, wait - shouldn't be thinking about things like that. Kid finds out and he might up and flatten me._

He paused with his hand on the door handle. _Maybe I should just wait here for the Kid? Not real sure when he'll get back into town anyway. I hadn't heard of any accidents on the road to the mine or at the mine._ He shook his head. _No, if the Kid has to find me it may make him more upset._

He pulled the door open and looking both ways - just habit he supposed - he stepped into the hall. _Surely, he'll understand that the man who was going to pay me thirty dollars a day plus a bonus got killed and that it's awful hard to collect pay from a dead man. Besides, it's not like I was going to go to the sheriff and complain about it._

He frowned as he locked the door and dropped the key into the pocket of his coat.

His face brightened. _Just won't tell him. Unless he brings it up. Then I'll just real casual like change the subject._

He frowned again as he headed for the stairs. _Nah, that wouldn't work. He'd know I was trying to avoid the question. That would make him want to flatten me for sure._

He paused at the top of the stairs. _Maybe I should just wait in the room._ He snapped his fingers. _That's it. I'll act like I'm sick. He'll get to fussing over me in that mother hen way of his and by the time I get __**well**__ he'll have forgotten all about the pay from my job. He'll be so pleased that I'm better and he nursed me back to health that..._

He placed one foot down a step. _That. That is a horrible plan! If he finds out I wasn't really sick he'd flatten me for sure. For not only having him worrying about me being sick but for not getting paid. _He shook his head._ Sheesh, that was an awful, awful idea. Trying to get yourself killed?_

_What to do, what to do?_ He finished descending the stairs and headed out to the hotel porch.

_Guess, I could head over to the saloon see about a game of poker. Sure, if I was playing poker and won.._ He quickly calculated what he had in is pocket and what he would need to make up for the lost wages ..._two hundred and seventy-nine dollars._

He sat down in one of the porch chairs and eased himself back, propping his feet up on the porch rail. _ Sure, I could win that much on a Saturday night but it's the middle of the day. A Wednesday no less._

He pushed his hat low over his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

_Well, I could say that I got paid and LOST it all in a poker game. Everyone has a bad day right? I mean, he can't expect me to win all the time._

A smile slid across his face _Julia. Maybe I could talk Kid in to going to Boston. I've never been further than the Mississippi, even the Kid's been as far as Philadelphia._

He let out a loud sigh and shifted slightly in the chair. _Back to the main problem - I can't lie about losing the money in a poker game. Kid would no more believe that than I was sick. Plus, he'd flatten me for sure if I lost it all in a poker game._

He tilted his head back slightly and glanced up at the sound of a wagon coming up the street. _Here he is. Honesty! Honesty is the best policy. Isn't that what they say?_

He dropped the chair forward pulling his feet off the rail and stood up. He headed across the street and with a wide-smile hailed his partner "Welcome back Mr. Jones!"

"Well I did it! Delivered all that TNT up to that mine and didn't get blowed up once." He said to me.

_Not sure why I'm so nervous. I'll just straighten his jacket. No, don't do that. Just quit being so fidgety._

He's then asking about my trip. It's interesting, real interesting I tell him. I find myself putting just a slight distance between us as I struggle to tell him.

"Well It's all over now and we got five hundred dollars to split between us." he says. _You can see he's happy, real happy to have not gotten blowed up. Hell, I'm happy he didn't get blowed up but I gotta tell him the truth and he's gonna flatten me._

"Umm.. I'm afraid I got something to tell ya." I smile. _Just be positive about this. Yeah, I'm positive he's going to flatten me._

He turns towards me, _boy he looks tired and dirty,_ "Something bad?"

I nod my head. _He sure doesn't look pleased._ I try not to swallow too hard.

"Don't tell me you didn't collect your money for that trip."

_He seems a might proddy maybe I should wait till after he's had a drink. No, just tell him._ My mouth opens but I feel so bad about it. _Tell him the truth, what's so hard about that? _Can't even look him in the eyes as I shake my head no.

"Aww Heyes, I asked you not to tell me..."

_Maybe I can smooth this over. _ "Well it''s nothing to get mad about..."

He heads into the saloon. I follow, ready to unleash the full force of my silver-tongue with a story of such mystery and adventure and a pretty girl - he'll forget all about it.

He shakes his head to clear it. _Probably have to pay for that broke chair._ He touches his jaw. _Yeah, it's a little sore._ With his tongue he gentle feels his bottom lip, feels the blood. _Great, a fat lip. I just knew he was gonna flatten me._


End file.
